The Regressed Sword Demon Is a Catastrophe-Class Inquisitor - Chapter 91

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 91. I Saw It.

Lisiana stepped onto the terrace and glanced between me and Bella, her eyes widening in alarm.

“Surely! Young Master Rayner didn’t touch Bella without permission, did he?”

Lisiana’s reaction spoke volumes about Rayner’s typical conduct.
He had laid hands on his own servants before, and had pestered noble daughters at social gatherings on multiple occasions.
I wasn’t entirely certain how far he’d crossed the line, but his obsession with women was undeniable.

“I knew it! I’ll take responsibility for this matter and lodge a formal protest with the Bartelo Family!”

While Lisiana’s reaction was particularly fierce, the others harbored similar views of Rayner.
They simply refrained from confronting him directly because he was the Archbishop’s legitimate heir.

“That’s not what happened, so calm yourself a moment, Lady Lisiana.”
“It’s not what happened?”

I nodded.

“Bella was merely startled by a large insect that appeared. I’ve already caught it.”
“Ah… I see. I’ve made a misunderstanding.”

As Lisiana cleared her throat awkwardly, Bella spoke.

“I apologize for startling you, Lady Lisiana.”
“No, as it grows dark, insects seem to emerge one by one outside. Come inside and play with me instead.”

At those words, Bella turned to look at me, her eyes asking what she should do.

“Go and play. I’ll handle things from here.”
“Yes, Interrogator.”

Bella nodded and, gathering her dress in both hands, hurried into the mansion.
We hadn’t come here to play, but Bella had secretly been looking forward to today.
In truth, she had never played with peers her own age before.
Since I could handle everything that followed on my own, having her play with Lisiana kept attention away from me, which suited my purposes well.

“Lady Lisiana, what’s the matter?”
“That scream was no ordinary cry….”

Others had already emerged onto the terrace, their faces etched with confusion.

“Oh, it was just an insect, an insect. So let us return inside and resume our festivities.”
“Hehe, even the Heretic Inquisitor’s Deacon dislikes insects, it seems.”
“They’re repulsive. When they suddenly charge at you, it’s absolutely chilling.”
“Exactly. When I was young, a massive insect came at me once, and ever since then, the mere sight of them makes me panic.”

They exchanged pleasantries and returned inside the mansion. Only Sriben remained.
I exchanged a brief glance with Sriben before moving forward.
Rayner had vanished. Following the traces left on the ground, I discovered a massive insect crawling away in a prone position.
It was Rayner.

“Stop.”

At my command, Rayner’s body jolted violently, and he turned his head. He swallowed hard before opening his mouth.

“Kael Inquisitor, fortunately you’ve noticed as well. I didn’t lay a hand on Bella.”
“….”
“I’m puzzled as to why Bella suddenly screamed, but if she saw a massive insect, that would explain it.”

I chuckled softly and approached him. The spot was obscured from the mansion by tall shrubbery and decorative elements.

“Listen, Rayner Bartelo.”
“…The misunderstanding seems resolved, but could you show a bit more formality?”

He was the Archbishop’s legitimate son. Ordinarily, I shouldn’t address him in such a manner.
I should have maintained at least the same formality I showed Lisiana.
But I stood before him now as a Heretic Inquisitor.

“You seem to be under a misapprehension. I didn’t silence them for your sake. I merely gave them a choice.”
“…A choice?”
“Yes.”

I spoke.

“I know you didn’t lay a hand on Bella. You’re not so foolish as to touch the Deacon of a Heretic Inquisitor, especially not at a party hosted by Princess Lisiana.”
“Then why….”
“But if I, a Heretic Inquisitor, fabricate a convincing story, you’ll become a criminal who sexually assaulted Bella.”
“In other words, this entire scheme is your plan?”
“At least you’re not so stupid as to fail to understand that much.”

Rayner, who had been watching me quietly, rose from his seat and brushed dust from his clothes. Then he spoke with arrogance.

“Listen here, Kael Inquisitor. I don’t know why you’re going to such lengths, but I am the legitimate heir of the Bartelo Marquis House. Do you think I would simply accept this?”

He was right.
No matter how much I tried to pin crimes on him, his position granted him the power to prove his innocence.
Under normal circumstances, anyway.

“But why did you run? According to your own words, you’ve done nothing wrong, so you could simply assert your innocence to them.”
“That’s….”
“You know it too. No matter how much truth you speak as someone who has lived so dissolutely, people will believe my lies as a Heretic Inquisitor.”
“….”

Had Rayner’s usual conduct been exemplary, it might have been I who suffered instead.
In short, it was all the result of his own karma.

“…Why are you doing this to me? Is it for money?”
“No. I want you to help me with my interrogation.”

My target was not Rayner. He was merely a means to uncover the Archbishop’s secrets.

“If that’s all you wanted, there was no need for such drastic methods. I could easily help with an interrogation.”
“No, this method was absolutely necessary.”
“Why are you so certain? I might be different from what you perceive.”
“The heretic I believe in is your father—Edmond Bartelo, the Archbishop.”

In that moment, Rayner’s eyes widened dramatically. After a long silence, he spoke.

“What… what are you saying? My father is renowned even among the lords of the Theocracy for his integrity and sincerity. Without such virtue, he could never have become Archbishop. How could such a man possibly be a heretic?”
“Look. If you truly believe that, how could you help me with my interrogation? You’d rather run crying to your father and tell him everything.”
“Crying? That’s….”
“And do you truly believe that? That your father is infinitely virtuous?”
“….”

Rayner fell silent for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Of course, Father is human too, so he must have made mistakes. But it wouldn’t be enough for you to consider him a heretic.”
“That’s something we’ll have to see.”

Rayner stared into my eyes for a moment, then released a heavy sigh.

“So what am I supposed to do?”
“I’ll tell you the details tomorrow. Come to the Rose Inn in Rainward Territory by 8 in the morning.”
“My servants are waiting outside the mansion….”
“Tell them you have business in the territory. They’ll just assume you’re going to indulge yourself again.”
“…You’ve investigated my background too?”
“Investigation? Men like you are all predictable.”
“This is maddening.”
“Then exercise some restraint if you know better.”

Rayner scratched his cheek before speaking.

“What happens if I don’t show up?”
“Then you become the man who sexually harassed the Heretic Inquisitor’s Deacon. I’m curious to see how the Archbishop responds.”

Of course, I had no intention of actually doing that. I disliked fabricating charges myself.
I would simply expose every petty transgression and use them to squeeze him if he didn’t appear.

‘But he will definitely come.’

Unlike me, he had far more to lose. As for me, if he didn’t come, I could simply find another way.

“Then I’ll be waiting.”

I turned my steps back toward the mansion.

* * *

The party proceeded without incident after that.
Bella conversed with Lisiana while eating dessert, and Rayner simply brushed off the dirt and returned to the mansion. But the soil stains from crawling on the ground remained.
The young ladies whispered as they watched him.

“Oh my, why does Young Master Rayner look like that?”
“Could he have gotten beaten up for pestering Bella? I noticed they kept walking together earlier.”
“Oh, then could that scream we heard from Bella also be…?”
“It is rather peculiar that the Heretic Inquisitor’s Deacon would be startled by a mere insect. Of course, there could be circumstances we’re unaware of, but….”

I observed the situation for a moment before interjecting quietly.

“That’s not what happened.”
“Oh, my! The Kael Inquisitor!”
“Wow!”
“But… what do you mean, that’s not what happened?”
“The pestering of Bella. Young Master Rayner simply panicked and fled the moment a large insect appeared.”

I spoke to them with a resolute expression.

“I witnessed it myself.”

My gaze was utterly sincere. The noble ladies accepted my explanation without hesitation.

“Ah, so that’s why you weren’t visible when we went out to the terrace?”
“My goodness, what a sight.”
“His dignity must be completely shattered.”
“The Archbishop must be having quite the difficult time.”

Behold the terror of manipulation.
Still, it’s better than becoming branded a sexual harasser, isn’t it?

‘I thought he’d leave and not return, yet here he is again.’

Was he pining to see the noble ladies?
Or perhaps he was anxious about what I might say. Indeed, he kept glancing nervously at me while I stood among the ladies.
When our eyes met, I offered him a reassuring smile.

“….”

At that, his face went pale.
It seems we’ll be meeting again tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, at the Rose Inn.

“I didn’t come here to assist in my father’s interrogation. I came to prove that my father is not a heretic.”

That was what Rayner said the moment he entered the inn.

“Think whatever you like. The work remains the same regardless.”
“….”

Rayner, wearing a disgruntled expression, glanced at Bella standing beside me. Then he flashed an oily smile.

“Miss Bella, your everyday attire is truly magnificent.”
“…This bastard still hasn’t come to his senses.”
“Inquisitor! Please, restrain yourself!”

As I lunged forward, Bella clung desperately to my forearm.
I sighed and peeled her off, glaring at Rayner.

“Don’t you dare speak to Deacon Bella. Not unless you want to be branded a heretic.”
“…I’ll be careful.”
“I’ll let it slide this time.”

Having lulled him into complacency with those words, I swung my palm across his cheek without hesitation.
His head snapped to the side, and he touched his stinging cheek with a bewildered expression.

“…??”
“Cheeks heal easily enough. But my anger only worsens if left unchecked, so accept your punishment quietly.”

Rayner blinked several times before nodding slowly.
These kinds of people never learn without a beating.
In my own case, I never received a beating from my father when I made mistakes—that came later from my Uncle. By then, it was already too late.
Though honestly, it probably would have been the same even if my father had struck me.

‘In any case….’

I spoke.

“Deacon Bella, have Sriben bring some salve. Sriben, apply it to his cheek.”

Sriben, who had received the ointment made from Aholo Tribe secretions from Bella, tilted his head in confusion.

“Me?”
“If Bella applies it, it’ll surely look lopsided, and I’m not in the mood to do it myself. I can’t even bear the thought of my hands touching this ointment.”

Then Rayner, who had been sitting quietly, spoke up.

“Am I really that unpleasant to look at? I don’t think my appearance is particularly bad….”
“You feel like filth. Surely a byproduct of your words and deeds.”
“Ugh…. I have nothing to say to that.”

I turned to look at Sriben.

“Still, you’re his older brother, aren’t you? When your brother is suffering, you should at least clean away a little filth.”
“Hmm, then I suppose I have no choice.”
“Just apply a little. Don’t waste it.”
“Yes, Young Master.”

Rayner offered his cheek, and Sriben frowned as he applied the ointment.

“Hm?”

Then Rayner, who had been sitting peacefully, seemed to sense something odd and voiced his confusion.

“Brother? What does that mean?”

Sriben withdrew his hand from Rayner’s cheek and looked at him. Then he adjusted his glasses with his middle finger.

“Try calling me ‘older brother,’ little brother.”

As expected….
Sriben was also not in his right mind.

(To be continued in the next chapter)

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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